A number could indicate the style, the maker, or even a patent granted to the company. The furniture back. Some manufacturers used less expensive wood on the back of a bureau, and they placed the label there, where it wouldn't damage the finish.
How do I find out what kind of furniture I have?
Look for marks on: The inside or even the underside of drawers, a popular place for labels or burned in marks. A number could indicate the style, the maker, or even a patent granted to the company. The furniture back.
What do the numbers on the inside of drawers mean?
The inside or even the underside of drawers, a popular place for labels or burned in marks. A number could indicate the style, the maker, or even a patent granted to the company.
How do I identify antique furniture makers’ marks?
Identifying antique furniture makers’ marks often requires a little detective work on behalf of the buyer, but the results are worth it if you find a genuine antique from a collection that interests you.
What are the different labels on furniture?
Labels found on 20th-century furniture generally fall into three categories: manufacturers, retailers and associations. Manufacturers actually produced the furniture from a design to a finished product. Many manufacturers had clues in the names themselves that left no doubt as to their identity.
What does number on bottom of furniture mean?
A number could indicate the style, the maker, or even a patent granted to the company. The furniture back. Some manufacturers used less expensive wood on the back of a bureau, and they placed the label there, where it wouldn't damage the finish.
How can you tell how old your furniture is?
Make sure to search for labels, stamps, or manufacturing tags that can tell when and where a piece was made. Furniture companies and makers often listed their names, locations, and year of production This information can be found on the inside of drawers, the backs of bureaus, and on the lower edges of pieces.
How can I tell what brand my furniture is?
Look for a metal or paper tag, a sticker or a stamp listing a brand name. This might be found on the underside of the table or one of the chairs. Check the braces at the corners of tables or chair seats, visible from beneath.
Where is the serial number on furniture?
Serial Numbers Follow This will typically be located on the underside of the seat or on the leg of the furniture. POLYWOOD cushions and pillows will have the serial numbers located on the tag.
How do you date antique furniture by foot?
Another way for how to date antique furniture by feet is comparing it to other pieces you already know the time period of. By evaluating the condition, or identifying the use of similar materials, shapes, patterns and production techniques, the trained eye can work out how to date antique furniture by the feet.
How do I identify an antique?
One of the best ways to do this is to find a mark or signature on the item made by the person who created it. Because many items were still being handmade a century ago, you may find marks and signatures on the bottom of antique pieces. You may also find these markings in hidden recesses of the item.
What do the numbers on old furniture mean?
What the serial number means will vary depending on the piece of furniture it's on. Serial numbers will often reveal the manufacturer, model number, or date that the furniture was made. Finding the serial number might require some hunting.
How do you read a furniture tag?
What do those tags on your furniture mean?THE INSIDE. Tags may have phrases like “100%” new polyurethane foam”, or “spun polyester”. ... FABRIC COVERINGS. The outside is of more concern as this is where stains show. ... CLEANING RECOMMENDATIONS. Most upholstered furniture will have a tag marked “Cleaning Recommendations”.
How can you tell if furniture is high quality?
Good quality furniture frames will sit even level with the floor. Bad quality furniture will wobble, twist, or creak. Wood on a good quality furniture piece should be reasonably scratch resistant, if it dents easily the furniture will not stand up to much use.
How do I know if my antique furniture is valuable?
Basically, look for irregular shaped joints. If the joints are perfect, then the piece is not truly old. If they are irregular, there is a greater chance that the furniture is old and potentially valuable.
How do I know if my dresser is antique?
Look carefully at the bottom, sides, and back of the drawer; if the wood shows nicks or cuts, it was probably cut with a plane, a spokeshave, or a drawknife. Straight saw marks also indicate an old piece. If the wood shows circular or arc-shaped marks, it was cut by a circular saw, not in use until about 1860.
How can you tell the age of wood?
Dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating, provides absolute dates in two different ways: directly, and by calibrating radiocarbon results. Cross-dating determines the age of undated wood by directly matching ring patterns with trees of known age.
How can you tell if furniture is antique wood?
Tips for Identifying Antique FurnitureCheck for a signature or label from the furniture maker.Make sure the piece is in proportion. ... Check the construction of the joints.Until the late 1600s handmade dowels or pegs held the mortise-and-tenon joints together and were slightly raised above the joints.More items...
What age does furniture become vintage?
The word vintage literally means "of age." With such an open meaning, there are many interpretations. Most antique dealers consider an item to be vintage if it is at least 40 years old.
How do you date furniture with screws?
1:433:01Rediscovery Centre - Tips to Help Identify Antique Furniture - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd also the screws. These screws are useful. Because they can actually give me an indication aboutMoreAnd also the screws. These screws are useful. Because they can actually give me an indication about the age of the piece if for example you see one of these in a piece of furniture. This is a modern
What does a number on a furniture label mean?
A number could indicate the style, the maker, or even a patent granted to the company. The furniture back. Some manufacturers used less expensive wood on the back of a bureau, and they placed the label there, where it wouldn't damage the finish.
What kind of tags do cabinet makers use?
The cabinetmaker with a shop often used paper labels or even metal tags with the shop name. These can be difficult to see, since the maker may have hidden them away from the finished surfaces. One snowshoe chair had the tag tucked under the chair's bentwood arm.
Where is the Old Hickory furniture company?
The manufacturer which included large or regional furniture companies, such as the Old Hickory Furniture Company in Indiana. The retailer, who purchased showrooms full of furniture from factories somewhere else, but identified the furniture as "theirs.".
Can forgers use labels on furniture?
Of course, forgers could use printed labels and identify less valuable furniture as made by a company with a sterling reputation . This happens with Arts & Craft furniture by Gustave Stickley, with fakes featuring "reproduction" stickers which can be purchased online.
What does it mean to find a label on a piece of furniture?
Finding a label on a piece of furniture now means that the collector has to know what kind of label it is to decipher its meaning. Furniture making in America in the 19th century ranged from the small shop, like that of Duncan Phyfe in downtown New York at the turn of the century, to the huge factories of Grand Rapids and Buffalo at the turn ...
What is the only label found in a piece of furniture?
Sometimes the only label found in a piece is that of a trade association or guild. The most famous of these is the ubiquitous “Mahogany Association” that many collectors mistakenly believe to be a company name. Around the turn of the 20th century, aniline dyes were introduced into the American furniture market.
How to tell if a company is a retailer or a maker?
One clue that a company is a retailer and not a maker is the inclusion of another product line. An example of that is Hartman Furniture and Carpet Co. of Chicago. The inclusion of “carpet” is a dead giveaway. Hartman bought furniture from a number of factories, but when it was sold, it carried only Hartman’s name.
What are some examples of companies that were at one time a manufacturer but became a retailer or department store?
One such example is the firm of Flint and Horner. George C. Flint was a mid-19th-century cabinetmaker whose business was acquired by R.J. Horner around the turn of the 20th century.
What are the three categories of furniture labels?
Labels found on 20th-century furniture generally fall into three categories: manufacturers, retailers and associations. Manufacturers actually produced the furniture from a design to a finished product. Many manufacturers had clues in the names themselves that left no doubt as to their identity.
Does Sears make their own furniture?
Sears didn’t actually make any of the own products in its own factory. The company was strictly a retailer. Sometimes, manufacturers made a specially designed line of items exclusive to Sears, but the mark on the furniture was always from Sears. This was also a common practice in the piano industry.
Who was the cabinetmaker who used paper labels?
Phyfe was one of the rare early century cabinetmakers who actually used paper labels and tags to identify some of his work. In fact, some items can be dated by the address on the label, since his shops constantly expanded and the streets were renamed.
What are antique furniture makers marks?
There are various common types of antique furniture makers’ marks that can help buyers assess the value of items and sellers to price correctly. For example, the marks could take the form of a stamp, tag or label, perhaps even a plaque that offers some bare-bones information about the piece. Identifying antique furniture makers’ marks often ...
Where to find maker's mark on a piece?
Check drawers, the underside or back of a piece to find any stamp or tag that might be hiding there. If you don’t manage to find a maker’s mark on a piece, there may still be clues to its origin such as a guild or association mark. This can help buyers and sellers narrow down the probable history of a piece.
What is a maker's mark?
A maker’s mark is the equivalent of antique trademarking. They allow craftsmen and manufacturers to take credit for creating a beautiful piece of furniture. Identifying antique furniture makers’ marks can quickly tell a buyer whether the piece they’re looking at is worth the price tag.
Is it possible for a forger to hoodwink a buyer?
It isn’t unknown for forgers to hoodwink potential buyers with fake marks, so it’s important to understand the furniture as much as the mark itself. Remember, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it’s worth investigating further to be on the safe side.
THE INSIDE
Tags may have phrases like “100%” new polyurethane foam”, or “spun polyester”. This tag tells you what is inside the furniture. This label is required by law because years ago, unscrupulous manufactures would use old rags, clothing, sponges, recycled mattresses and other potentially contaminated materials to fill upholstered furnishings.
FABRIC COVERINGS
The outside is of more concern as this is where stains show. However, rarely will you find a tag that reveals the fiber content of the fabric covering. Many fabrics are blends, and since the furniture manufacturer chooses fabrics for style rather than performance, they are unaware of or uninterested in knowing the content of the covering.
CLEANING RECOMMENDATIONS
Most upholstered furniture will have a tag marked “Cleaning Recommendations”. This tag should include an indication of the recommended procedure for maintenance and routine cleaning. As part of this tag you will often find a cleaning code.
